


Like Waves of the Ocean

by CostumersDelight (CostumerDelight)



Category: Life of the Party D&D (Web Series)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Cassian is an insufferable bastard, My First Work in This Fandom, Renard has mixed feelings for Cassian, bickering boyfriends, i love these assholes, this was so worth the wait
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22368184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CostumerDelight/pseuds/CostumersDelight
Summary: Renard is stopped by Cassian for a quick chat outside the tavern, which turns into a heated...argument?
Relationships: Cassian/Renard (Life of the Party)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 61





	Like Waves of the Ocean

**Author's Note:**

> They premiere the episodes at 2pm where I live, and I got to pull up the youtube video around 3:10pm. I saw the chatroom exploding because Cassian apparently did _something_ and without context to what was happening, as I had already taken the video cursor to the beginning and was watching the countdown, I thought he was getting into some kind of fisticuffs fight and was going to die. When I finally reached that timestamp myself, I **screamed** because it was not what I anticipated and I needed to write something to get my excess energy out. It. Was. Insane.

Festivals were one of Renard’s favorite things. With Lakeside’s festival, though, it easily became his favorite festival overall. It was liberating to not be confined to the scripted bouts of nobility where he couldn’t lose, and exciting to have the real thrill of combat. It was exhilarating to finally have a chance to let loose and duel with someone at a festival.

It also, for a time, got his mind off of a certain magical asshole who seemed to be getting more and more on his nerves as the days wore on.

Just that morning, Cassian had asked him for his expertise in weaponry to help pick out a sword of some type. And of course, the wizard fuck decided he needed a magical weapon. So they had to go to a different shop. And then, to Renard’s annoyance, Cassian didn’t even have the money. It was exhausting dealing with Cassian and his snide remarks, his patronizing tone, his smug grins…

Renard shook his head and made another lunge at the orc opponent in the fighting ring in front of him, knocking him down and ending the fight.

They shook hands, heading out of the pit and letting Elyse take a turn. Renard could feel the prickling gaze of Cassian on his back, but he ignored it as best as he could. But arriving at the tavern later, after Elyse’s loss in the ring, Renard was cut off from entering by the most annoying person he could have been stopped by.

“What do you want, Cassian?” he asked, rolling his eyes and thankful for the mask that hid his expression.

“I wasn’t sure if it came across properly, Renard,” Cassian started, almost not meeting Ren’s eyes. It was… surprising, to say the least, that the overconfident bastard was being so nervous, suddenly. “But I wanted to express my gratitude for earlier, with the sword business.”

“No problem, just… make sure you’re useful with it,” Ren said quickly. He wasn’t sure how to approach the sudden honesty from the elf, the vulnerability. Cassian looked at them, then, and Ren felt a short tug in his chest.

“Of course. I could, well… use some lessons, if you’re amenable to that,” the elf continued.

“I could help with that, sure. Just remember,” Ren felt it was necessary to add on, “don’t worry so much about the money. You only owe me a favor, alright?”

“Ah, yes… you’re probably used to spending so much money, what with mommy and daddy probably paying for everything for you,” Cassian sighed, seeming done with the admission.

That hit a nerve that Renard hadn’t expected, and he seethed, snatching up Cassian’s collar and yanking him close.

“What did you just fucking say?”

Cassian stared at him, eyes wide in shock, and Renard realized in his anger, he had pulled Cassian  _ much _ closer to himself than he ever thought he’d get to the smug bastard.

“I… I said mommy and daddy probably pay for it…” Cassian said quietly, a grin quirking up the side of his face. That pompous grin irritated Renard to no end, and he slammed Cassian against the door of the tavern. It was easy enough, Cassian pliable enough, to do, and there was a bit of relief in the violent act, but not enough to quell the feelings roiling in Renard’s chest; a mix of emotions, some dark and bitter, some exciting and hot, and some… some he couldn’t quite put a name to but made his skin tingle and his breath grow short.

That made him release Cassian and stalk off down the alleyway, frustration and confusion on his mind and the unnamed feeling of  _ something _ he didn’t want to address. The footfalls behind him were recognizable as the source and target of his frustrations and he groaned, wheeling around to stare at him.

“What do you fucking want now?” he barked, hands fisted at his sides as he glared down Cassian, who still held the smug and conceited smirk upon his face.

“Last time I left you alone in the dark…” Cassian trailed off. Renard knew what he meant. The time along the banks of the river just after the entire ordeal in the pyramid, when Renard felt at ease exploring, excited for the prospects of whatever lie ahead. The history, the lore, the joy at discovering something not many others have witnessed. “Maybe we can talk it out, this time?”

Renard shoved him against the wall, now, glaring from behind his mask at the elf who didn’t seem to get the hint. He couldn’t handle the whirling, swirling emotions that were fighting to overtake his sensibilities, and he could already feel the unnamed one growing in strength, the one he refused to acknowledge for the past few weeks of knowing his allies, the people he was just beginning to view as friends… He couldn’t, but Cassian was making it impossible to shove the feelings down deep inside himself to ignore.

“I’m not interested in being  _ friends _ with you,” he hissed. “I’m not interested in the bullshit you always have to say to me. I…” he took a breath, a futile attempt to calm himself and keep his emotions in check, “I would appreciate you keeping your  _ mouth shut _ from now on around me.”

There was a glint. A sparkle of mischief in Cassian’s wide, shocked eyes that Renard caught just before the elf smiled; a new smile. Something… something genuine and enthralled.

“I’ll keep your mouth shut,” Cassian said quietly, surging forward. Renard braced himself for some kind of attack, a headbutt, anything…

Anything but the lips that crashed against his own like a wave from the ocean meeting the shore. The breath was shoved from his lungs as Cassian used the momentum to flip them, pressing Renard up against the chilly wall of the tavern. Renard was once again thankful for his mask that hid most of his face, namely the untamed blush that spread like wildfire across his cheeks, but also the way his eyes fluttered shut in the moment; but instinct kicked in and he tensed up, still and stiff.

It was a heartbeat before his rational mind kicked in and said to  _ push him away _ , so Renard did, gently moving Cassian back as he forced his eyes to open; he was met with resistance as Cassian leaned into him more, one of the elf’s arms supporting himself against the wall as he leaned over Renard, a deep flush spreading across his darkened face as their lips were locked together. That same pull, deep from within Renard’s chest, prompted him to return the kiss with equal fervor; that seemed to shock Cassian, and Renard used that opportunity and momentary distraction to duck down, under Cassian’s arm, and speed walk back into the tavern.

“I told you you were frustrating,” Cassian called after him, chuckling and breathless, “I think we will work it out one way or another.”

Renard pulled up the scarf that hid the bottom of his face as he rushed into the tavern. He dropped a gold onto the counter of the bar, plucked a bottle of wine from under the counter, and went upstairs, uncorking the wine as he went and pulling as long of a drag from the bottle as he could.

That… that was unexpected. But the events named the feelings he had felt in his chest for the past weeks, and he did not want to think about what that named feeling was just now.


End file.
